March 20

⚾ Mel Parnell and the Pesky Pole March 20

March 20, 2025

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Mel Parnell passed away on March 20, 2012, was one of the greatest left-handed pitchers in Boston Red Sox history, known for his dominance on the mound and loyalty to the franchise. Spending his entire 10-year MLB career (1947–1956) with Boston, he compiled an impressive 123–75 record, led the American League in wins (1949), and threw a no-hitter in 1956. A two-time All-Star, Parnell thrived in the hitter-friendly Fenway Park, where he still holds team records for left-handed pitchers. After his playing days, he remained connected to the game as a manager and broadcaster, cementing his legacy as a key figure in Red Sox history.

Two-time All-Star (1949, 1951) and AL wins leader in 1949 with a 25-7 record.

Pitched a no-hitter on July 14, 1956, against the Chicago White Sox. For the last out of his no-hitter, Parnell got pinch-hitter Walt Dropo to bounce a groundball back to the mound. Parnell ran the ball to first base himself to record the putout.

He still holds Red Sox records for left-handed pitchers in games started, innings pitched, and wins.

Coined the term "Pesky's Pole" for Fenway Park’s right-field foul pole. He was claimed to have said it following a victory in Fenway during which Johnny Pesky hit a game-winning home run near the right-field foul pole, Parnell named it "Pesky's Pole." However, research shows that Pesky hit only one home run in a game pitched by Parnell, a two-run shot in the first inning of a game against Detroit on June 11, 1950. The Tigers eventually won that game in the 14th inning with a three-run homer by Tigers' right fielder Vic Wertz, and Parnell earned a no-decision.

He called the final out of the last regular-season game of the 1967 Red Sox "Impossible Dream" season on WHDH-TV:

"Little soft pop-up...Petrocelli will take it...he does! The ball game is over! The Red Sox win it! And what a mob on this field! They're coming out of the stands from all over!"

Parnell was mentioned in Terry Cashman’s 1981 song "Talkin' Baseball".

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Game of the DayOctober 3, 1949 Game 155 Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees for the Pennant

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March 20, 1934 -- Mildred Didrickson (also known as Babe Zaharias), the renowned all-around female athlete, pitches the 1st inning for the Philadelphia Athletics in a spring training exhibition game at McCurdy Field in Frederick, Maryland against the Brooklyn Dodgers. She gives up one walk but no hits. Two days later she pitches again, this time one inning for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Boston Red Sox. Didrickson is less successful the second time, giving up four hits and three runs. Bill Hallahan relieves her, as she does not have an at bat in either game. She will also play several games for the House of David this season. Didrickson is the second female to play exhibitions with a major league team. Previously, first baseman Lizzie Murphy played for an American League All-Star team on August 14, 1922.

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Trivia:

Mel Parnell won 25 games in 1949, only two other pitchers in team history topped 25 in a single season, who are they?

Hint: The answer is below

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TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

March 20, 1937, the Homestead Grays of the Negro Leagues acquire future Hall of Famers Josh Gibson and Judy Johnson for $2,500 in cash and a pair of journeymen players. The trade is considered the largest transaction in the history of the Negro Leagues. The Baseball's Hall of Fame will induct both players, with Gibson becoming a member in 1972 and Johnson, following three years later.

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March 20, 1953 -- U.S. Senator Edwin C. Johnson offers a bill to give clubs the sole right to ban radio-TV broadcasts of major league games in their own territory. The antitrust division of the Justice Department outlawed this practice in 1949. Johnson believes that it started the decline of baseball in small towns and cities throughout the country. His bill aims to restore the equity between large communities and the small areas.

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March 20, 1973 -- Roberto Clemente becomes the first Hispanic American to gain election to the Hall of Fame. The Baseball Writers Association of America announces the results of a special ballot, with Clemente receiving 393 of 424 votes. Clemente died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve. In light of his tragic death, the Hall's Board of Directors waived the five-year waiting period that is normally required before a player is eligible for election. A twelve-time All-Star, Clemente batted .317 and won a dozen Gold Gloves over an 18-year career, and batted .362 in World Series play. Named National League MVP in 1966, he was voted the outstanding player in the 1971 World Series, when the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the heavily-favored Baltimore Orioles in seven games.

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March 20, 1975 -- A rare spring training brawl takes place when Ranger second baseman Dave Nelson takes exception to the two brushback pitches thrown at him by Yankee southpaw Mike Wallace in the seventh inning of an exhibition contest at played Fort Lauderdale. The trouble begins brewing early when Jim Bibby’ first pitch of the game plunks the shoulder New York’s leadoff hitter Elliot Maddox, who had deeply angered Texas skipper Billy Martin when he told the local press that his former manager "has a habit of lying to his players."

March 20, 1989 - Commissioner Peter Ueberroth announces that he has begun an investigation into the behavior of Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose.

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Quote of the day:

Parnell no hitter in 1956 was the first by a Red Sox pitcher in 33 years. “This is something a pitcher dreams of,” Parnell told The Times-Picayune in 2002. “You never expect it to happen.”